A Belmont day care center that closed abruptly last week was violating state rules by having too few workers and not providing nutritious meals.

Great Beginnings Child Development Center shut its doors Friday, leaving employees searching for new jobs and parents scrambling to find care for their children.

The center, which opened in 2000, was not forced to close by the Division of Childhood Development and Early Education. But the state agency that oversees day care centers was notified earlier this month that the center would close March 22.

When the business ceased operations it was in violation of several practices, according to the Division of Childhood Development and Early Education.

The most recent investigation was last week. According to the report, an insufficient number of care providers were watching the children.

Another complaint was lodged in February, reporting that children there did not get sufficient meals and snacks.

In both cases the center was instructed to make changes to correct the issues. With the center now closed, the point is moot.

But a former employee of the center said Monday afternoon that the allegations held merit.

Level of care

Cassie Alexander worked at Great Beginnings for 10 months.

She said goodbye to the children and parents Friday afternoon.

“I was the last employee left on Friday,” she said.

During her time at the day care center, Alexander said she saw the enrollment go from 70 children to 25.

Dirty conditions and lack of organization were apparent, Alexander said.

In addition to taking payments from parents and watching children, Alexander said she worked in the kitchen. Each day was nerve-racking, she said.

“I was working in the kitchen, and I complained that we didn’t have enough food to feed the kids,” she said. “Nothing was planned. We were just working day to day.”

Among other issues, Alexander said the facility wasn’t kept clean; there weren’t enough care providers; and basic supplies weren’t available – such as crayons and paper.

“It was a mess. It really was,” Alexander said. “The place was just horrible. It was nasty, and it wasn’t the teachers’ fault.”

Training and payroll

Employees got paid every other Friday, according to Alexander.

Last Friday should have been payday. Alexander said she’s yet to be paid.

“We kind of figured we weren’t going to get paid Friday,” she said.

No recent complaints have been made with the N.C. Department of Labor regarding payroll.

The last time a Great Beginnings employee reported not being paid was in May 2012, according to Neal O’Briant with the Department of Labor.

But there were other deficiencies, according to Alexander.

Employees weren’t offered training, she said. Some workers’ CPR certification had expired, according to Alexander.

“That’s dangerous,” she said. “We just didn’t have proper training. And in child care, proper training is serious.”

Some parents and employees didn’t find out that the center was closing until last week, Alexander said.

Alexander said she found out earlier this month when she saw a document that said the center was closing March 22.

Alexander said she didn’t keep the news a secret. But workers didn’t know until Thursday that the center would close the next day, according to Alexander.

They found out in a text message, Alexander said.

Doors close

The day care center on Glenway Street sat empty Monday morning, a small bus the only vehicle in the lot.

No notices were posted on the door.

A call made to the business owner, Suzanne Jacobs, was not immediately returned.

Parents have found other arrangements for their children. Alexander said she’s found a new job.

She said she once adored Great Beginnings. Both her children were enrolled at the center prior to her employment there. After just a few months working at the center, Alexander said she withdrew her children.

Alexander said she felt if little things had been changed, the center could’ve stayed open. But if closure was the only option, Alexander said she wishes it had been handled differently.

“It just wasn’t fair to the employees and the parents who took their children there every day,” she said.

You can reach reporter Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Past problems

The Division of Childhood Development and Early Education documents complaints and resolutions for issues at North Carolina day care centers. The following complaints were lodged against Great Beginnings Child Development Center in 2012 and 2013.

March 12 complaint:

Not enough staff to care for the number of children present.

The complaint was confirmed.

Violations:

Staff/child ratios and group sizes for the number and ages of children in care were not met. At 4 p.m., one staff member was left to watch two groups of children when another worker had to leave to go to her second job. One space had five children ranging in age from 3 years old to school age. The other space had three children ranging in from infants to 1 year olds.

Children were not adequately supervised at all times. Due to low staff, one staff person supervised five children in one space from a half door. No staff person was physically present in the space with the children after 4 p.m.

Follow up:

Center did not maintain a record of daily attendance. None of the spaces contained an attendance sheet.

Feb. 26 complaint:

Meals and/or snacks were not provided.

The complaint was confirmed.

Violations:

Children between ages 1 and 2 were routinely grouped with older children. A 1 year old was enrolled in a classroom with 3 year old children.

Menus for all meals and snacks were not current or posted where easily seen by parents and cook. The menu was not posted.

Food substitution was not of comparable food value or recorded on the menu. The menu did not reflect that meals were served to the children.

Dec. 2, 2012 complaint:

Children were not adequately supervised.

That allegation was not confirmed.

Violation:

Monthly fire drills were not documented.

Jan. 27, 2012 complaint:

Facility not meeting sanitation/health requirements

Inappropriate discipline of children

Child abuse/neglect

The child abuse/neglect claim was not confirmed. The other two complaints were.

Violations:

Each child was not attended to in a nurturing and appropriate manner, or in keeping with the child's developmental needs. Staff observed a worker in a toddler classroom holding down the backs of children's necks on their mats because the children would not nap.

Child was handled roughly. Staff members observed a worker jerk up a 1-year-old child by one arm.

A modified criminal record check was not conducted every three years. One staff member did not have a three-year criminal record check completed since Nov. 10, 2008.

Mouse droppings were found in the facility. Effective measures shall be taken to keep uncontained insects and other vermin out of the child care centers and to prevent their breeding or presence on the premises.

Complaints investigated in 2012 were answered by the day care center via letter, saying the issues had been resolved.